Team Sky’s aim of fighting for the yellow and green jerseys in the Tour de France plus then riding as well as possible in the Olympic Games mean that a smaller than usual contingent of its riders will compete in the British national road race championships next Sunday.

Ben Swift has gone close to victories of late, clocking up two seconds places in the Tour of Luxembourg and then netting second and third on stages of the Tour de Suisse. He will be part of the team, as well as current time trial champion Alex Dowsett, former double road race champion Jeremy Hunt, Luke Rowe and Ian Stannard.

Wiggins already confirmed that he would not take part, with final preparations for the Tour de France taking priority over everything else. He won Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and the Critérium du Dauphiné this year, and is one of the favourites for the Tour.

Also missing will be Mark Cavendish, who yesterday took the first-ever overall classification of his pro career when he won the Ster ZLM Toer. Chris Froome, Peter Kennaugh and the 2010 winner Geraint Thomas will similarly be absent.

Team Sky’s race coach Rod Ellingworth explains the reasoning. “In an ideal world we’d have our full British contingent competing, but with the Tour de France and Olympics now very much on the horizon, it simply isn’t possible,” he said. “Bradley, Chris and Mark are all fine-tuning their condition ahead of a busy summer on the road, while Pete and Geraint are now mid-way through a crucial block of Olympic track training.

However while those big names are missing, he believes the quintet has a good chance of being successful. “The riders that have entered this year are all looking forward to it and every one of them will be going all-out to take the victory. It’s an honour to wear the national colours and if a Team Sky rider can make it three wins from three, it’ll be a massive achievement.”